Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Arkansas supports performance pay initiatives. The state's Alternative Pay Program requires the use of "a variety of objective criteria that are credible, clear, specific, measurable indicators of student achievement, and generally accepted best practices to determine pay." The program requires that not more than 50 percent of its eligibility requirements or alternative pay be related to annual increases in test scores. Also, the alternative pay must be at least 10 percent of the teacher's salary.
Arkansas also supports the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program (REAP). The state's REAP requires a comprehensive school improvement plan, including the use of assessment tools to measure student performance, performance goals and benchmark improvement and a data reporting system about students and their academic progress.
Arkansas recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.